Mathematics+Strategy+Instruction+(SI)+for+Middle+School+Students+with+Learning+Disabilities

By Paula Maccini and Joseph Gagnon One of the greatest challenges teachers currently face with students who are struggling academically is how to provide access to the general education curriculum. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 support the assertion that all children, including those with disabilities, should have access to the same curriculum. Furthermore, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) supports providing all youth equal access to mathematical concepts. However, students with disabilities in general, and those with learning disabilities (LD) at the middle school level, often have difficulty meeting academic content standards and passing state assessments (Thurlow, Albus, Spicuzza, & Thompson, 1998; Thurlow, Moen, & Wiley, 2005). Specifically, students with LD often have difficulties with mathematics, including basic skills (Algozzine, O’Shea, Crews, & Stoddard, 1987; Cawley, Baker-Kroczynski, & Urban, 1992), algebraic reasoning (Maccini, McNaughton, & Ruhl, 1999) and problem-solving skills (Hutchinson, 1993; Montague, Bos, & Doucette, 1991). Many of these students struggle with how to (a) approach math problems; (b) make effective decisions; and (c) carry out the chosen plan (Maccini & Hughes, 2000; Maccini & Ruhl, 2000). One effective approach to assisting middle school youth with LD in accessing challenging mathematical concepts is to provide strategy instruction (SI). This brief defines strategy instruction, identifies key features of effective strategies, and identifies key components necessary for instructing youth in the use of a strategy. In addition, we provide a practical example for the use of a math instructional strategy that can be applied to a variety of concepts and settings, and provide some key considerations when using strategy instruction in mathematics classes. **The steps for [|STAR] include: ** (a) **S **earch the word problem; (b) **T **ranslate the problem; (c) **A **nswer the problem; and (d) **R **eview the solution Teachers can use self-monitoring forms or structured worksheets to help students remember and organize important steps and substeps. For example, students can keep track of their problem solving performance by checking off the steps they completed (e.g., “Did I check the reasonableness of my answer?” ).
 * Mathematics Strategy Instruction (SI) for Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities **